


Dragon Slayer

by dontknowcats



Series: Dragon Slaying [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-24 16:51:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3776134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontknowcats/pseuds/dontknowcats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Atheva returns from her first time fighting a dragon and Cullen isn't entirely happy about her fighting a dragon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dragon Slayer

_“Cullen!”_

The commander’s eyebrows raised in surprise when he heard his beloved’s voice. Deciding it was just his imagination toying with him, however, he turned his attention back to the papers in front of him. There was more chatter carried on the wind up to his office than usual, and he found himself unable to concentrate.

The horn used to announce a party’s return was blown.

His chair nearly toppled over at the speed he pushed himself up to look out the window. He barely caught the straggling soldiers entering, meaning they were all already back inside. His heart raced as he tried to figure out why they were back so early. He had heard her voice, yes, but what if it had still only been in his imagination?

Cullen rushed across the barracks to the stairs, running down them two at a time until he was caught behind two spies who were trying to catch sight of their returning bosses and friends through the crowd.

“Excuse me!” Their commander snapped, almost pushing them aside. He caught himself and waited for the two to move of their own accord, saluting him as he passed. By the time he hopped off of the bottom step his breathing was shallow and his throat dry.

He was in a sea of soldiers and mages and workers, all eager to find out what had happened to cause the party to return so early. He pushed between every person he encountered, thanking the maker that he could at least see Bull for a point of reference.

Finally near the middle of the crowd, he felt himself release his breath. Had he been holding it for long? It didn’t matter at all the moment he saw a flash of her red hair behind Dorian.

“Ah, Commander. We weren’t expecting you down here so fast. Looks like Atheva wins,” he announced with a shrug. The elf let out a whoop of glee before peering around the mage with an open hand.

“Hugs after I get my money from everyone. Pay up!” She said with a grin, wiggling her bandaged fingers.

Cullen could have sworn his eyes popped out of his head and his stomach dropped to the ground when he saw her. There were bandages around her head and taped to her right cheek. He could see the wrappings around her hands travel beneath her sleeves; Maker knew how far up they went.

“Maker’s breath, Atheva, what happened?” He asked, concern lacing his voice as her friends dropped two sovereigns a piece into her hand.

“We found a dragon! A fire-breathing one!” She squealed as she pocketed the money. Finally she closed the distance between herself and him, hugging him. She didn’t hug him as tightly or as long as usual, and it made him even more worried than before. He could smell burnt cloth and skin when she pulled away, finally realizing that her attire was singed and blackened almost everywhere the eye could see.

“It was beautiful, Cullen. You would have been amazed,” Bull said dreamily, making Cullen frown.

“Well what happened to you? You seem like the only one who got in any danger,” he asked the Inquisitor.

“Oh, we had a bet. Well, Dorian and Bull and I did. Vivienne doesn’t like to bet on stuff like that,” she explained, “See, they said that Bull should be the one to wake it up since he has his giant spear knife thing, but I said I could do it much better than him. And they said fine, but ‘you can’t use your bow or arrow.’” She ended with a deeper tone of voice, mimicking Iron Bull, which gained a chuckle from him.

Cullen brought his hand to his face, wondering for a moment just why he was dead-set on marrying such a reckless fighter.

“I won, by the way. Dorian and Vivienne treated my wounds all the way back, so they aren’t that bad. The bandages can come off tonight, they say. Minor scarring on the stomach, arms, and back. Well, the back won’t be from the fire, mainly from the fucking wyvern’s the dragon called.”

“I’m afraid that one will be more than a little minor scarring, darling. It won’t be a pretty sight, so I suggest you stay covered up for the rest of your life,” Vivienne piped in from the back of the group.

Atheva visibly froze, her eyes widening for a moment before she shook her head and her smile returned.

“I’ll be fine. I don’t have many chances of dressing down that much in public, anyway.”

“Why don’t we leave the two lovebirds to bicker and flirt and what not?” Dorian suggested with a smile. The crowd was beginning to dissipate already, everyone returning to their jobs and stations since the excitement had simmered down. They had only returned due to the Inquisitor being burned and attacked by a dragon. No big deal.

Dorian, Bull, and Vivienne walked off to their usual places: Dorian to the library, Bull the tavern, and Vivienne her makeshift bedroom.

“I was so worried about you when I heard the horn,” Cullen sighed, reaching out to cup her good cheek. “Why did you do that? Why… why do you have to be so careless?” Her smile fell when he reprimanded her.

“I want to have fun. Ever since the Conclave my life has fallen to pieces around me. I haven’t gotten to have fun unless I’m away from the Inquisition and out on the field or with you, still away from the Inquisition. And sometimes I mistake danger for fun and run face-first into it,” she mumbled, turning her head to glance towards the gate.

“Honestly, sometimes I think about just leaving.”

His fingers gently curled into her hair, as if to have a safeguard to keep her from running away at any second.

“You would leave me? Like that?”

“No! Of course I wouldn’t,” she said, turning to look him straight in the eyes. “When I imagined it, it would work perfectly, you would agree and leave and we would be so much happier…” She drifted off in thought for a moment before shaking her head and continuing. “But I knew you wouldn’t do that in real life… So I kept the thought to myself.” She reached forward and took his face between her bandaged hands, tugging him down so they were eye-to-eye.

“I would never leave you by choice. I can’t live with the thought of leaving you.”

His eyes searched hers momentarily before his arms wrapped tightly around her. He was unable to control himself as he lifted her up into the air and kissed her passionately. The few people that were still around went quiet in surprise, unsure of whether to look away or not.

“We’re going on a trip when you’re healed. We can travel Thedas if you’d like. You can meet my family, I can meet your clan. We can do whatever you would like,” he murmured as he kissed her cheek once again. “I just want you to be happy.”


End file.
